What's going on guys....
I'm gonna cut to the chase...

I was driving my car a couple days ago and the car started jerking and sputtering at a stop light. But it didn't cut off. It never did this before. So the rest of the ride to work was smooth sailing.

Later on in the day when it was time to go home, the car drove fine. Until I got close to home and it did it again. This time it didn't stop... I only could try to put it in neutral to ease the violent shaking. The vsc lights came on and check engine.

Then now I took it to the mechanic and on the way there the check engine starts blinking. The brake booster also seems to be on its way out .when i pulled into a gas
station I started hearing buzzing and it didn't really wanna stop the car.

Also I noticed that the exhaust was smelling strongly.
Anyone know about the shaking issue? I just dropped off the car and left because I had some stuff to do. I didn't even get to talk to the mechanic

 

hmmm yea no bueno...did u check oil level/ coolant leak..doubtfully/ could be computer issue or wiring...def get a tech to look at it.

 

had this happen to me during my quest to be supercharged.

You have a misfire (at least I did). I installed new injectors and my wiring wasn't the best at first so every now and then car would sputter or shake and the cel light would start flashing. I read this with my obdII scanner and it was a misfire. I cleaned up the wiring and no more cel light. In your case you should check the injectors/plugs wiring and so on.

 

I just remembered someone saying that these symptoms could be a cat failing. I'm not 100 percent though....can someone let me know?

 

first thing is check for codes.... then post it here

 

Flashing CEL is equal to severe misfire. Driving it with that condition will result in cat failure and clogged exhaust. Get it fixed asap!

 

Yes this is true, last year I had the check engine light flashing as well as the vsc light and the car was shaking pretty bad. It always happened when it rainned and I would let it sit over night and it would be normal in the morning. One day it wouldnt go away so i took it in and it turns out I needed coil packs and new spark plug wires then this year my cats failed very pricey...

 

i think the damn cat is already screwed. judging by the smell...

what can lead to severe misfiring?

 

That happened to me in an eclipse when the fuel pump was going out... it was fine while i was moving cause i gas getting gas through the line but at an idle it was all bad - ... just a thought.

 

Ignition system, fuel system, or lastly compression problems.

 

could any of those issues be caused by running low on fuel? when this happened I was at about quarter tank or slightly lower

 

...so what motor are we talking about?

2jz, ? Leaking valve cover gaskets?
Check for oil in the spark plug valley shorting out your wires.

 

gs 400 so we are talking the 1uz motor here.
you know its weird that I'm having all of these misfiring issues (if it is that) and I did the timing belt and water pump along with a full tune up just at the beginning of September.

so plugs, distributors etc are all new

 

Fill it up and see what happens.

Your V8 doesnt have a distributor btw

 

UPDATE

my mechanic called me earlier today and said it was the oil control valve.
It would only cost about 100 bucks from Lexus.

I explained my fear of the blinking CEL but he said that the blinking CEL usually means that there is a problem that could potentially damage the catalytic converter. so that should be some thing I could expect in the near future.